In the Spider's Web
by thechickenlittle
Summary: This is the story of how Jenai and Rizel met, and how the most ruthless killer in all Pandemonium fell in love....
1. Default Chapter

Hello! thechickenlittle here, and just to let you know. if there are some parts to this story about demon behavior that you dont get or understand, you might want to read my other CC fic, Demons and Love, to understand it better.

I saw Jenai's reaction to Rizel's death in manga four (sorry to spoil that for anyone), and I wondered if they had possibly been in love. This is how I figured it would have happened.

Don't own Chrno or his fellow demons.

Skrath: a word in the demonic tongue, loosely translates to one of many colorful four letter words that starts with an 's', just a lot more vulgar.

Succubae: plural form of succubi, a female sex demon said to drain the energies of the people they sleep with, known for advanced knowledge in fornication and the ability to become invisible.

Chap: Introductions

A sickening crack was heard across the harsh landscape of Pandemonium as the battle came to a close. Energies died in the sulpherous air, dying astral escaping to the clouded sky. Blood and flesh were scattered and spilled everywhere around the two figures in the clearing.

The demon Jenai smirked as he finished pulling the spine from the lower demon's back. "You must be one dumb _skrath _to think you could defy Lord Taj-mere and get away with it." The devil spasmed in its death throes, blood spattering on the future Sinner's armor. "Hey, now, that's not very nice," Jenai said with a childlike pout. "I just had that polished." He gave a last swift yank to the creature's spine, ending its movements.

The devil tossed the remains over his shoulder, leaving the body to the carrion demons that frequented the area. A faint whisp of sound made him turn in surprise as the lower demon managed a few last words.

"You bastard…."

Jenai smirked again in black humor as the demon died. "True, but at least I'm honest." His sharp blades retreated into his forearms as he formed his wings for flight. He shook his head before putting the tension into his legs to leap up into the sky. "An honest devil, and one that admits it to boot. I must be crazy."

In truth, you had to be an honest demon to work for Taj-mere. Lord Taj-mere was one of Pandemonia's most trusted lords, endowed with thousands of secret enchantments, spells, scrolls and records of the demon queen. He could also read and manipulate thoughts and emotions in other demons. Jenai, as the lord's best and fastest assassin, had learned to ask nothing about his master's business, just to follow his orders. If Taj-mere even suspected you of deceit, you would either be subjected to some of his infamously inventive curses and spells, or get intimate and personal with the vicious Pursuer Jenai. If given the choice, most chose a round with the assassin.

Jenai shuddered at the memory of the last such person to cause the lord's wrath with a curse so terrible, Queen Pandemonia had actually ordered the knowledge of that particular curse to be destroyed.

He flew on through Pandemonium's deadly skies until he reached the lair of his master, carved underneath one of the dimension's many mountain chains. A slight ledge in the cliff's side was what he was aiming for. Landing gracefully, he shrugged out of his extra armor, letting the armorer's apprentice take it. "Get it polished, boy, and don't skimp on the spikes." He grinned, "I'd hate to have to skewer you on them like the last one."

The young demon almost smiled back as he caught the heavy load, staggering off to clean it. Lord Jenai was known for his ruthlessness in fighting, but if you managed to get on his good side, you couldn't find a better sense of humor than his. The last apprentice had been promoted to master at Lord Jenai's comments on his workmanship.

The devil set out to make his report, rolling his head on his shoulders as he walked down the cavernous hall. He waved to the guards as he reached the gates to his master's private office, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for them to open the massive doors. As soon as there was enough room for him to pass, he jumped in. the guards shook their heads as they went to re-shut the gates at the devil's impatience.

Jenai grinned outright at the sight of his master's office, glancing around. Whips, chains, paint, and even some—feathers? He couldn't' help his slight laugh. "So boss, you been having some fun with the succubae? Or are you just kinky this way?"

A very relaxed green serpent demon was stretched out on his desk, a pleased smile on his face as three of the pleasure demons faded out of their invisible shading and hurriedly raced out of the room. "Shut up, Jenai."

"Well hey, sir, share the wealth! I didn't know there was a breeder in heat now, and I missed it!"

The serpent demon rolled off the table, shifting to a more humanoid form as he sat back in his chair. "Terribly sorry about that," he replied with cold sarcasm. "Next time we'll invite the Queen too, see if she's in the mood for some fun."

Jenai shut up at that. He'd heard about that devil, what's-his-nameoh yeah, Aion. Now that had been cruel and unusual punishment at its best. Or worst, he could never be sure of the terminology for it in this line of work. The queen had used her own breeder scent to drive the young devil insane for her, and kept him like that for weeks. It was said that his screams could be heard almost all the way out here in the back of beyond. Time for him to do something he hated, bowing and scraping. "My apologies, Lord Taj-mere," he said, barely keeping the contempt out of his voice.

A twitched eyebrow was his only response. The demon shuffled some paperwork from his desk into order. "I have another job for you." He ignored the devil's groan. "A devil named Rizel had defied Queen Pandemonia and refused to become a breeder. She managed to escape the palace executioners and is rumored to be hiding somewhere out past the Blight range mountains."

Jenai perked up at that. A devil strong enough to evade the palace guards, Pandemonia's chosen? Now that would be a challenge. He'd been getting bored lately. "So what's her abilities?"

"Extremely fast and strong. Wingless, has trouble morphing due to her demonic type, a spider-based demon. Spins thread as bindings, alarm triggers, and traps, and the stuff's as strong as some metal wires. Good knowledge of spells, with her spider extensions capable of exerting mind control over whoever they touch. Only higher type demons can shake off her control, so she'll probably have dozens of demons under her control when you go after her."

"Oh great," Jenai muttered. Raising his voice, he asked, "You ever have her work here? She seems right up your alley."

Taj-mere growled. "I tried to recruit her, but she was already chosen to become a breeder. The queen considered her too powerful to keep conscious when she was barely fifty years old."

Jenai whistled under his breath. Fifty? In human years that was the equivalent of barely eight to ten years old. And she was considered a threat even then? This would be a challenge indeed.

&(&&

Let me know what you all think! Please review!


	2. sounds?

Sorry, know its short, but more to come soon! My fave demons have to meet!

Don't own the Chrono Crew, but Taj-mere is mine.

Chap 2: sounds?

The demon hunter snarled in frustration. This was the fourth mountain chain he had scouted out that had any previous reports of the renegade, with no results. It had been almost four months, as the humans reckoned time, and this amusing little 'challenge' had become a huge chore. This Rizel had successfully given him the slip twice, substituting puppets in her place to fool him. In truth, he hadn't actually laid eyes on her real form yet.

He climbed up the steep valley walls to a rocky spire, talons digging into the granite to give him purchase. He unfurled his wings, readying himself to fly to the next sighting location when he heard something.

The sheer strangeness of it made him pause. It was some kind of sound. Sounds, really, pleasant sounding ones, and in some kind of odd synchrony. He tilted his head, listening. They were faint, coming from very far away, and they sounded almost hypnotic. At the thought, he instantly raised his shields, warding off any sort of magic or energies that might come for him. Yet the sounds still came, now different in pitch.

Jenai felt uneasy for some reason. He tried to puzzle it out, not understanding what was happening. He began to analyse the noises. They seemed to put him in mind of when someone plucked metal wires to check for tenseness. They had no power behind them, as he couldn't pick up any sort of astral coming from them. He glanced up, focusing on his horns to try to sense the astral flows around him more closely. He frowned. The astral was actually going toward the source of the noise.

'_Not exactly the most subtle way to gather astral,_' he thought to himself. '_Is it some demon that lost their horns? Way to advertise where you are, dumbass.'_

Suddenly the sounds began to change. They grew—he wasn't sure how to describe it. Softer almost, but no lesser in their intensity. He cocked his head to the side, trying to focus on it more. A voice was talking along with the sounds. But the voice was making itself sound like the noises. What was going on?

Those sounds were causing something to happen to him. They sounded so different from anything he'd ever heard before. He touched his chest, feeling something shift, something grow that he could not name.

Spreading his wings out, he decided to find the source of this. If nothing else, he'd kill whoever was doing it. Nothing was supposed to shake him, nothing could faze him. This was going to stop, and right now!

)(&

He crept closer to the cavern, careful to not trigger the wires that littered the ground. A faint glow was coming from the cave, the gathering astral coming to a point here. He allowed himself to smirk. He was finally going to find his mystery noise-maker.

It had been three days since he'd set out to find the source of the sounds. The detour wouldn't hurt his mission. He didn't have any trails or leads to follow at the moment, so a little distraction would probably be good for him.

Whoever it was had been clever, covering their tracks and leaving several false trails the moment they had sensed him coming. It bothered him a bit that they had been able to sense him in the first place. He was one of the stealthiest assassins in Pandemonium. All it proved was that he was up against a very worthy opponent.

They had fled to the Rothmak caverns, a labyrinth of catacombs and caverns gouged deep into the ancient rock. He admired their choice. That place was notorious for its confusing, maze-like structure. Anyone who went in there had better not want to come out again. But this demon had been smart, leaving subtle trails of tiny signals to guide their way. They had also set up tripwires all over the place. It had taken more skill than even he knew he possessed to slip through the net and get this far in.

He froze as he sensed movement in the cave ahead.

Dun, dun, dun! Please review!


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